“I’d prefer you two did not go at it again,” Jason said as he stood up to take himself off to bed. “Sets a bad example for the children.”

“Quite right,” Anthony agreed with a grin, then to James, “At least some of the elders around here are possessed of wisdom.”

Considering James was Anthony’s elder by a year, there was little doubt that Anthony was getting in yet another subtle dig against him. James might have let it pass if his mood hadn’t gone sour with the reminder that his wife was still annoyed with him.

“Which is fortunate,” James said, giving his brother a sage nod. “Since some of the infants around here are possessed of none a’tall.”

Derek, standing next to his father and seeing one of his stern frowns forming, whispered aside to him, “You know once they get started like that, there’s no stopping them. Might as well ignore them. I get the feeling it’s going to continue like this until Aunt George is smiling again.”

Jason sighed and replied in an equally soft whisper, “I suppose I should have a talk with her. From what I’ve heard, her anger seems quite overdone.”

“It does, don’t it? Seems to indicate there might be something else that’s put the bee in her bonnet, that she ain’t fessing up to.”

“You’ve hit the nail squarely. But James has already come to that conclusion himself—not that it’s helped any.”

“Obviously, since he still ain’t himself. Course, he never is, when he and George are having a tiff.”

“Are any of us?”

Derek chuckled, likely remembering some of his own tiffs with Kelsey. “Good point. Deuced hard to analyze the situation when you’re knee-deep in the doldrums.”

Jason was ready to conclude that that might have been his own problem where Molly was concerned. The logic she had always used on him, while valid, always made him rage inwardly that it was valid. The situation, as it had stood, was frustrating beyond endurance, and who could think clearly mired in such emotional muck? Yet he now had hope, thanks to his grandmother’s amazing gift.

Jeremy drew his attention back to the current barb slinging by remarking cheerfully, “Well, this ‘baby’ is taking himself to bed. At least I didn’t inherit any sorcery-type silliness with these blue eyes and black hair that I got from the grand-mère.”

Derek rolled his eyes at that and said in mild disgust, “No, you just cast the most potent spell of all, cousin, in having every woman who looks at you fall hopelessly in love with you.”

Jeremy beamed. “I do? Well, hell’s bells, I’ll settle for that.”

Anthony chuckled, putting an arm around Jeremy’s shoulders to confide, “They’re just jealous, puppy, that all the charm in this family fell on us black-haired Gypsies.”